SRINAGAR: A day after CM Omar Abdullah moved an assembly resolution for restoration of J&K’s statehood with a reference to a similar document of the year 2000 on autonomy, BJP leader of opposition Sunil Sharma met Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday for “advice” even as PDP upped the ante and sought an amendment to condemn Article 370’s abrogation.Vowing to block the resolution, Sharma said Shah “reaffirmed the Union govt’s unwavering commitment to peace, development and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir”.Sharma made it clear that BJP was prepared to debate the statehood restoration document brought by the Omar-led National Conference (NC) govt but would not accept attempts to “smuggle in” issues of Article 370 and the 2000 autonomy resolution.“When the (Omar-led) govt has lost its strength on governance, an attempt is being made to recover that by invoking references designed to stir emotion among the people of Kashmir. At no cost will the so-called autonomy resolution or Article 370 be allowed to become part of this debate,” Sharma said.PDP would have none of it. It called Friday’s resolution “weak” and demanded that the document begin with a denunciation of Article 370’s revocation by the Centre on Aug 5, 2019. PDP legislator Muntazir Mehdi disclosed that he had moved an amendment calling on the House to “express its deep anguish over the unilateral measures” of 2019 and urging the Centre to ensure “immediate restoration of J&K’s full statehood along with its constitutional safeguards”.Omar had moved the resolution amid a BJP backlash to the autonomy reference, with its members ripping up copies amid anti-national chants directed at NC. MLAs of NC ally Congress supported the resolution and confronted rivals. CPM, Peoples Conference and PDP also backed the resolution. The autonomy resolution was passed by the assembly in June 2000 when J&K was a state.
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Explaining the reference to previous resolutions, Omar said the aim was to convey that the House continued to stand by all past decisions. He rejected BJP’s charges, asked “how demanding statehood can be anti-national” and pointed out that statehood was a promise made by the Centre and reaffirmed by PM Narendra Modi at an event where BJP’s Sharma was present.Omar has been under pressure for months now, accused by rivals of dropping demands to restore Article 370 and demanding statehood only. On Saturday, NC spokesperson Tanvir called the resolution a powerful reminder that the party had “not forgotten” its agenda. BJP MLA Devyani Rana accused NC of raking up 25-year-old autonomy demands on the pretext of statehood.
